Can't be formatted;

After cloning WinXP to it when new, then changing my mind and cloning 250Gb of 'data' to it, it now shows as 128Gb (or 131Gb) in 8 utilities on Hirens Boot CD; Partitioning. Fomatting ends at 99% with"Windows can not complete this format". How to recover use of 320Gb ?

<>When I clone I just expect everything on the original disk to appear on the clone, without 'creating' anything. The O/S system I cloned belonged to a PC that was NOT in easy reach, so I did not test whether, or how well, it worked, or whether there was a C drive. VERY soon after, I changed my mind and cloned 250Gb of data over that O/S - took 6.5 hours. That data was never accessible, so I wanted to restore the (almost) new 320Gb HDD by repartitioning, and then reformatting it, but 3 different formats I have tried, all got to 99% then reported that it can't be done/finished. BIOS detection and Manage in Context menu of My Computer are the only 'utilities' that can see 320Gb. I acquired Acronis Disk director, and after using it there was a tiny (30Mb) extra unwanted partition, plus the 298Gb that I expect, but format still failed.

<> No.<<When you cloned the drive did you create a C drive on the new disk.>>
When I clone I just expect everything on the original disk to appear on the clone, without 'creating' anything. The O/S system I cloned belonged to a PC that was NOT in easy reach, so I did not test whether, or how well, it worked, or whether there was a C drive. VERY soon after, I changed my mind and cloned 250Gb of data over that O/S - took 6.5 hours. That data was never accessible, so I wanted to restore the (almost) new 320Gb HDD by repartitioning, and then reformatting it, but 3 different formats I have tried, all got to 99% then reported that it can't be done/finished. BIOS detection and Manage in Context menu of My Computer are the only 'utilities' that can see 320Gb. I acquired Acronis Disk director, and after using it there was a tiny (30Mb) extra unwanted partition, plus the 298Gb that I expect, but format still failed.
<<Are you cleaning up this drive using the original machine?>> No.

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Go to your Admin Tools, computer management, disk management and if it shows up there but with a black line across the mini window it showing in, it will need to be enabled for windows to see it. if nothing like that is working, it may just be a bad drive. kingston 128Gb flash drives may not be formatted correctly for windows to see that its plugged in

Good day!!..As far us i know that cloning or ghosting should be the same specs of hard disk..Since you want to cloned the 58gb,so you should be use 58gb also and not 250 gb,thats why bios detecting some different utilities..ok thanks..

that sounds like it is blank it should be preformatted and if you trying to format it try using ntfs or use its supplied software if it isnt formatting but if the drive shows that as free space that is normall

You may have removed the data pen before it was ready, you may have to try formatting it, If you can still copy off the pendrive, i would remove what you want before trying to format it.
If you google your problem, it is very common, i would advise checking a few forums out first

hello,i think you lost the mbr of old hdd. Or you have a virus problem on your pc. firstly you boot the pc with new hdd and then scan the whole drive by an updated antivirus and then boot prom old hdd. if it is not solve your problem then rebuild the mbr by any software which are avalable on net.i think it can solve your problem.ramesh

You most likely need to delete the partition on your external hard drive, then create a new one and format it again. You will lose the data on your external hard drive.
1. Go to the Control Panel, click on Administrative Tools, click on Computer Management, then Disk Management. (You will need Administrators rights to carry out the following tasks)
2. On the lower Right Panel select the External drive, this will be displayed as Disk 1, Right click on this drive (MAKE SURE YOU DON"T SELECT THE C: DRIVE which will be displayed as Disk 0)
and then Delete the partition.
3. This drive should then be Unallocated, Right Click on this drive and create a New Partition.
4. Then select Primary partition.
5. Check that the maxium disk size matches close to 240000(MB) you about 10+MB in the formating process
6. Click Assign the following drive letter (let the computer select this.
7. Chick Format the partition with the following settings
File System = NTFS
Allocatin unir size = Default
Volume label = "name of your choice eg. BACHUP DATA"
DON'T TICK Perform a quick format & Enable file & folder compression
8. Click Finish